Electronic driver for an illumination device and method of operating thereof

Abstract

An electronic driver is provided. The electronic driver includes a power converter including an output terminal and configured to generate a converter output power based on a first switching frequency of the power converter. The electronic driver also includes a first controller operatively coupled to the power converter and configured to control the first switching frequency of the power converter. The electronic driver further includes a visible light communication adapter operatively coupled to the output terminal of the power converter and configured to alter the converter output power to perform visible light communication.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic driver comprising:
 a power converter comprising an output terminal and configured to generate a converter output power based on a first switching frequency of the power converter; 
 a first controller operatively coupled to the power converter and configured to control the first switching frequency of the power converter; and 
 a visible light communication adapter operatively coupled to the output terminal of the power converter and configured to alter the converter output power to perform visible light communication; 
 wherein the power converter comprises: 
 a first string comprising a plurality of switches operatively coupled to each other in a series configuration; 
 a second string comprising a plurality of diodes operatively coupled to each other in a series configuration; 
 a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding comprises a first end operatively coupled to the first string at a first node; 
 a rectifier comprising a first leg operatively coupled to a first end of the secondary winding and a second leg operatively coupled to a second end of the secondary winding; 
 a first capacitive element operatively coupled to the second string in a parallel configuration; and 
 a second capacitive element operatively coupled to a second end of the primary winding. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic driver of  claim 1 , further comprising a second controller operatively coupled to the visible light communication adapter and configured to control a second switching frequency of the visible light communication adapter. 
     
     
       3. The electronic driver of  claim 2 , wherein the second controller is communicatively coupled to the first controller. 
     
     
       4. The electronic driver of  claim 2 , wherein the second switching frequency is different from the first switching frequency. 
     
     
       5. The electronic driver of  claim 1 , wherein the visible light communication adapter comprises:
 an adapter capacitor operatively coupled to a positive node of the output terminal of the power converter; 
 an adapter inductor operatively coupled to the adapter capacitor in a series configuration; and 
 an adapter switch comprising a first switch end operatively coupled to a common adapter node of the output terminal of the power converter and a second switch end operatively coupled between the adapter capacitor and the adapter inductor at the common adapter node. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic driver of  claim 5 , further comprising an electrical adapter component comprising a first component end operatively coupled to the positive node of the output terminal and a second component end operatively coupled to the common adapter node. 
     
     
       7. The electronic driver of  claim 6 , wherein the electrical adapter component comprises an adapter diode for a voltage source based power converter. 
     
     
       8. The electronic driver of  claim 1 , wherein the visible light communication adapter is configured to perform the visible light communication, using an illumination device. 
     
     
       9. The electronic driver of  claim 1 , wherein the first controller is configured to perform pulse width modulation dimming of an illumination device simultaneously with the visible light communication. 
     
     
       10. A lighting system comprising:
 an electronic driver comprising:
 a power converter comprising an output terminal and configured to generate a converter output power based on a switching frequency of the power converter; 
 a first controller operatively coupled to the power converter and configured to control the switching frequency of the power converter; and 
 a visible light communication adapter operatively coupled to the output terminal of the power converter and configured to alter the converter output power to perform visible light communication; and 
 
 an illumination device operatively coupled to the visible light communication adapter, wherein the visible light communication adapter is further configured to perform the visible light communication, using the illumination device; 
 wherein the electronic driver further comprises a second controller operatively coupled to the visible light communication adapter and communicatively coupled to the first controller. 
 
     
     
       11. The lighting system of  claim 10 , wherein the electronic driver is further configured to perform a pulse width modulation dimming of the illumination device simultaneously with the visible light communication, using the illumination device. 
     
     
       12. The lighting system of  claim 10 , wherein the illumination device comprises a light emitting diode. 
     
     
       13. A retrofit visible light communication adapter comprising:
 a positive rail and a negative rail; 
 an output adapter terminal; 
 an adapter controller; 
 an adapter capacitor comprising a first capacitor end and a second capacitor end, wherein the first capacitor end is operatively coupled to the positive rail and the second capacitor end is operatively coupled to a common adapter node; 
 an adapter inductor comprising a first inductor end and a second inductor end, wherein the first inductor end is operatively coupled to the common adapter node and the second inductor end is representative of a negative adapter node of the output adapter terminal; 
 an adapter switch operatively coupled to the adapter controller, wherein the adapter switch comprises a first switch end and a second switch end, wherein the first switch end is operatively coupled to the common adapter node and the second switch end is operatively coupled to the negative rail; and 
 an electrical adapter component comprising a first component end and a second component end, wherein the first component end is operatively coupled to the positive rail and the second component end is operatively coupled to the common adapter node. 
 
     
     
       14. The retrofit visible light communication adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the electrical adapter component further comprises an adapter diode. 
     
     
       15. The retrofit visible light communication adapter of  claim 13 , wherein the positive rail is configured to be operatively coupled to a positive node of an output terminal of a power converter and the negative rail of is configured to be operatively coupled to a negative node of the output terminal of the power converter, and wherein the output adapter terminal is configured to be operatively coupled to an illumination device. 
     
     
       16. A method comprising:
 detecting presence of a visible light communication adapter in an electronic driver; 
 adjusting a switching frequency of a power converter in the electronic driver based on the detected visible light communication adapter; 
 generating a converter output power based on the switching frequency, using the power converter; and
 altering the converter output power, using the visible light communication adapter, to perform visible light communication using an illumination device; 
 
 wherein the power converter comprises:
 a first string comprising a plurality of switches operatively coupled to each other in a series configuration; 
 a second string comprising a plurality of diodes operatively coupled to each other in a series configuration; 
 a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding comprises a first end operatively coupled to the first string at a first node; 
 a rectifier comprising a first leg operatively coupled to a first end of the secondary winding and a second leg operatively coupled to a second end of the secondary winding; 
 a first capacitive element operatively coupled to the second string in a parallel configuration; and 
 
 a second capacitive element operatively coupled to a second end of the primary winding. 
 
     
     
       17. A method according to  claim 16 , wherein the visible light communication adapter comprises:
 an adapter capacitor operatively coupled to a positive node of the output terminal of the power converter; 
 an adapter inductor operatively coupled to the adapter capacitor in a series configuration; and 
 an adapter switch comprising a first switch end operatively coupled to a common adapter node of the output terminal of the power converter and a second switch end operatively coupled between the adapter capacitor and the adapter inductor at the common adapter node. 
 
     
     
       18. An electronic driver comprising:
 a power converter comprising an output terminal and configured to generate a converter output power based on a first switching frequency of the power converter; 
 a first controller operatively coupled to the power converter and configured to control the first switching frequency of the power converter; and 
 a visible light communication adapter operatively coupled to the output terminal of the power converter and configured to alter the converter output power to perform visible light communication; 
 wherein 
 the power converter comprises: 
 a first string comprising a plurality of switches operatively coupled to each other in a series configuration; 
 a second string comprising a plurality of diodes operatively coupled to each other in a series configuration; 
 a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the primary winding comprises a first end operatively coupled to the first string at a first node; 
 a rectifier comprising a first leg operatively coupled to a first end of the secondary winding and a second leg operatively coupled to a second end of the secondary winding; 
 a first capacitive element operatively coupled to the second string in a parallel configuration; and 
 a second capacitive element operatively coupled to a second end of the primary winding; and 
 the visible light communication adapter comprises: 
 an adapter capacitor operatively coupled to a positive node of the output terminal of the power converter; 
 an adapter inductor operatively coupled to the adapter capacitor in a series configuration; and 
 an adapter switch comprising a first switch end operatively coupled to a common adapter node of the output terminal of the power converter and a second switch end operatively coupled between the adapter capacitor and the adapter inductor at the common adapter node.